Girl who found rare slender loris launches rescue operation

Sankhali: A slender loris was discovered in Nagave, Valpoi, Sattari at 8 pm on Sunday night. Animal rescue team members Pradeep Gondalkar and Amrit Singh visited the site to inspect. A young girl, Varsha Parwar, saw the creature sitting on a wooden fence behind her residence and alerted her mother Chandravati Parwar. The chairman of the animal rescue group was also informed about the incident.

On reaching the spot, Amrit Singh said that he had earlier heard both positive and negative things about this animal from the village elders. However, upon seeing it firsthand, he became convinced. Chandravati Parvar, the respected elder of the house, expressed her respect for the creature by applying makeup on its head.
With turmeric, ribs and flowers as a form of puja. On receiving the information, Forest Department Officer Shamsundar Gawas issued orders to immediately release the Slender Loris in its natural habitat.

Vinod Sawant and Vishant Gawkar of the wildlife rescue team later released him into the forest the same night. These animals are classified under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving them the highest level of legal protection in the country.